Control-F (Windows) or Command-F (macOS) is an essential keyboard shortcut that we all use to quickly locate specific words or phrases on a web page or document. But have you ever wondered if you can use the Control-F search shortcut on iPhone and iPad? Well the answer is yes. There are several ways to perform a Control-F (or Ctrl + F) search on your iPhone. So if you’re looking to unravel this productivity-focused hack, let me show you how it works.
How to use Control-F on iPhone and iPad
First things first, there is no Ctrl + F / Cmd + F keyboard shortcut on the iPhone. So how do you search for certain words / phrases in a document or web page? It is quite simple. You should take advantage of the built-in search tools to find text.
While some apps come with a dedicated search bar to let you instantly find specific words, others opt for Control-F-like functionality that makes it more convenient to find certain text. On top of everything, there is also Spotlight Search that allows you to do a quick system-wide search on your iPhone or iPad. As long as you know how to use these options, finding certain words (or doing Control-F) on your iPhone shouldn’t be an easy task.
How to Search for Specific Words on the Safari Webpage on iPhone
- Open Safari on your iPhone and go to the web pagewhere you want to search for a word or phrase.
- Now, type the wordyou want to find in the search bar. Then scroll down to find the “Here” and tap tea Find [keyword search you Entered]option.
- At the bottom of the screen, you should see the number of times that particular word appearson the web page. Now, you can use the up and down arrows at the bottom of the screen to find each instance of the word. Once you’re done with your Control-F search, tap on Doneat the bottom of your iPhone screen.
How to Search for Specific Words on Chrome Web Page on iPhone
- Launch Google Chromeon your iPhone or iPad and navigate to the web page where you want to search for a specific word.
- Then, tap the three dots iconin the lower right corner of the screen. Scroll down and select the Find on pageoption from the context menu.
- Next, type the word or phrasein the search bar and press the up and down arrows to find each instance of the word. Tap Doneat the top right when you finish your search.
How to use the Share button for Control-F search in Safari / Chrome
Another reliable way to find certain words in the Safari or Google Chrome browser is to use the familiar share button. Follow the steps below to learn how tapping the share button presents you with a familiar option.
- Open Safari or Chromeon your iPhone and go to a web page where you perform the Control-F operation.
- Now, touch the Share icon. After that, scroll down and select the “Find on page” option in Safari or the “Find on page” option in Chrome.
- Next, enter your search keyword and use the up / down arrowto check each instance of the highlighted word on the web page. Once you’ve found the word or phrase you were looking for, tap Done to finish.
How to find specific words in the Notes app on iPhone and iPad
- Launch the Notes App(which now supports tags) and open the note where you want to search for a word or phrase.
- Now, tap the menu button(the small circle with three dots) in the upper right corner and choose the Find in noteoption.
- Next, use the up / down arrowto find each instance of a specific word in the note. And as usual, tap on Doneonce you’re done with your search.
How to do Control-F search in Files app on iPhone and iPad
Searching for a specific word in the Files app on iOS devices is pretty straightforward. It includes a dedicated search bar at the top. So, enter the text you want to search for -> hit the search button on the keyboard and you’re done. The Files app will display all files, including images, documents, or folders, with the search keyword in their name.
How to use Control-F in the Apple Messages app on iPhone
Apple’s native messaging app also features a search bar at the top to allow you to track messages with a certain keyword in all of your conversations. To find any word / phrase in the iMessage app, tap on the search bar (you can also swipe down from the top of the screen to access the search bar), enter the text you want to search for, and hit the Search button on the keyboard.
How to use Control-F in Photos app on iPhone and iPad
With iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, Apple has integrated the Photos app with Spotlight. As a result, you can now search for images using Spotlight on your iPhone or iPad by specifying scenes, people, locations, pets, plants, whatever.
To do so, swipe down from the center of the screen (when you are on the home screen) so that Spotlight appears. Then enter the text or type of image you are looking for in the search bar at the top. Now the Spotlight search will show the relevant results based on your query.
How to Control-F in Google Docs App on iPhone and iPad
- Launch the Google Docs application on your device and open the documentyou want to perform a text search on.
- Touch the search icon (magnifying glass)in the upper right corner of the screen. Then enter the wordyou want to search for. Google Docs will now highlight each instance of the word and will also show the total number of times the word appears in the document. You can use the back / forward arrow buttons to quickly navigate through the document and find a relevant occurrence.
How to control-F in PowerPoint on iPhone and iPad
- Launch the Microsoft PowerPoint applicationon your device and open a presentation. Tap the search icon (magnifying glass)in the upper right corner.
- Now, type a word or phraseyou are looking for in the search bar at the top and press the Search button on the keyboard. For advanced search options, tap the gear icon to the left of the search box and select the preferred option such as Case Match or Whole Words.
Perform Control-F search on iPhone to find text
There you go! So these are the various ways you can use to do a Control / Command-F search on your iPhone. By including a dedicated search bar and convenient search tools, your iPhone applications make it easy to find every instance of a word or phrase on a web page or document. Also, Spotlight search has gotten a lot smarter to let you track just about anything on your iOS or iPadOS 15 devices. That said, are you still having trouble using the Control-F feature on the iPhone? If so, please let us know in the comments below and we will help you.
